brown rockfish
Sebastes auriculatus · Sebastidae · predator
Brown and sedentary rockfish of bays and shallow rocks of the North Pacific, which in Mexico occurs only in Baja California. Its spines are mildly venomous.
Also called: garoupa-marrom, rocote moreno, brown rockfish
- maximum
- 56 cm
- depth
- 0–128 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the brown rockfish
who is the brown rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living close to the coast, in bays and shallow water down to 128 m. It grows to 56 cm. It is sedentary and hides among rocks covered in algae or on pilings. It is viviparous and has pelagic juveniles. Its spines are sharp and mildly venomous, causing painful wounds. Small live specimens are excellent bait for large fish, and the species is considered a sport fish.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the brown rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 34 years old have been recorded.
identification
Light brown rockfish, with dark brown spots forming vague bands on the back and a dark blotch on the upper gill cover. The fins and throat are pink, and the caudal fin is rounded. Compare it with the copper rockfish, which has white sides and two dark bands running from the eye, and with the yellow rockfish, which is smaller and lives in holes.
where found
Lives in the eastern Pacific, from Alaska to central Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Bays and shallow water, 0 to 128 m, among rocks covered in algae and on pilings.
rules for the brown rockfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The spines are sharp and mildly venomous: hold it with a cloth and remove the hook carefully.
in the kitchen
The flesh is firm and tasty, but it rarely appears in markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Sebastes auriculatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sebastes auriculatusNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: